Harriman-Bear Mountain State Parks

Harriman-Bear Mountain State Parks

Park Overview:

With nearly 52,000 acres of mostly forested landscape and hundreds of miles of trails--including the Appalachian Trail--Harriman-Bear Mountain State Parks offer a rich hiking resource close to New York City.

Park Description:

Harriman-Bear Mountain Parks

The variety of trails looping across the rugged landscape, draped upon the Highlands, is a major part of the appeal of Harriman-Bear Mountain Parks. Covering nearly 52,000 acres, this network of practically infinite trail combinations is unmatched in the area surrounding metropolitan New York. The hiker may choose to climb through the crevices of the Lemon Squeezer, savor the views of the Hudson from high on Dunderberg Mountain, or ramble on old woods roads past sleepy swamps and abandoned mining villages. The Bear Mountain Inn area is itself a destination for many families to enjoy its numerous attractions, including access to several hiking trails.

For a history of the park and a complete guide to marked and unmarked trails, see Harriman Trails: A Guide and History, by William Myles [New York-New Jersey Trail Conference, 3d ed. 2010].

Trails Overview:

With more than 235 miles of trails, approximately fifty marked trails, and three-dozen plus woods trails not to mention unmarked trails, it seems best to feature just a few major trail access points with parking areas.

Reeves Meadow Visitors Center: One of the most popular trails in the park, the Pine Meadow trail [5.5 miles; red on while] leads to the north shore of Pine Meadow Lake. A 0.2-mile hike east from the parking area towards Sloatsburg on Pine Meadow Trail connects to Seven Hills Trail [blue dot on white]; 300 feet east of the visitors center on Pine Meadow Trail is the trailhead [on the right] of the Reeves Brook Trail [white].

Bear Mountain Inn: The large parking area [though it becomes full in good weather, or on special holidays] is an access point to several trails, including the Appalachian [white], Anthony Wayne [2.8 miles, white], 1777E [red "1777" on white], Suffern-Bear Mountain [23.5 miles, yellow], and Cornell Mine Trails [2.5 miles, blue]. Also the Twin Forts Trail, a short path connecting the sites of the historic Fort Clinton and Fort Montgomery [including the modest Fort Montgomery visitor center] and also leading to the Timp-Torne [11.2 miles, blue] and Popolopen Gorge trails [4.5 miles, red on white].

Anthony Wayne Recreation Area: The mid-point of the Anthony Wayne Trail [2.8 miles; white] forms a loop with the Popolopen Gorge Trail [red on white] at Turkey Hill Lake and the Timp-Torne Trail [blue] on the west end of West Mountain.

Elk Pen Parking Area: On the western side of the park, there is access to the Appalachian Trail, Arden-Surebridge Trail [6.3 miles, red triangle on white] and Island Pond.

The Appalachian Trail [18.0 miles, white] traverses the northern section of the park, extending from the Bear Mountain Bridge at the Hudson River west to NY 17. On the way, it intersects or runs jointly with eleven other marked trails, and it can be combined with these trails to make a variety of loop hikes.

This section of the Appalachian Trail in the park was the first of the 2,160 mile-long A.T. to be completed, and much of it still follows the original route. Improvements are still being made to the A.T. on Bear Mountain which is the focal point of a multi-year, multi-agency trail building and rehabilitation project being led by the Trail Conference. Learn more about the Bear Mountain Trails Project.

Before proceeding west on the A.T. from Bear Mountain Inn, hikers may wish to follow the trail east, through a pedestrian tunnel under US 9 W, into the Trailside Museum and Zoo, which features native plants, animals, reptiles and birds. A sign on the A.T. as it passes through the museum marks the lowest point on the entire trail from Maine to Georgia - 124 feet above sea level.

Both ends of the trail in the park are readily accessible. See "Let's Go/Directions to Trailhead" to either Bear Mountain Inn or Elk Pen Parking Area.

Doodletown near Bear Mountain, an isolated hamlet surviving for 200 years but a ghost town since the mid-1960s, is a popular destination for hikers. Click for more information

Check out MyHarriman.com for an informed personal blog with a local perspective about this vast park.

Hunting is allowed in season in the section of the park west of NY Route 17.

For detailed descriptions of many hikes in Harriman-Bear Mountain click here.

Park Acreage:

52000.00 acres

Municipality:

Bear Mountain

With nearly 52,000 acres of mostly forested landscape and hundreds of miles of trails--including the Appalachian Trail--Harriman-Bear Mountain State Parks offer a rich hiking resource close to New York City.

Prepare For Your Destination

Hike Checklist:

Whether you are going for a day hike or backpacking overnight, it is good practice to carry what we call The Hiking Essentials. These essentials will help you enjoy your outing more and will provide basic safety gear if needed. There may also be more essentials, depending on the season and your needs.

The Essentials

Hiking Shoes or Boots

Water - Two quarts per person is recommended in every season. Keep in mind that fluid loss is heightened in winter as well as summer. Don't put yourself in the position of having to end your hike early because you have run out of water.

Map - Know where you are and where you are going. Many of our hiking areas feature interconnecting network of trails. Use a waterproof/tear-resistant Tyvek Trail Conference map if available or enclose your map in a Ziplock plastic bag. If you have a mobile device, download Avenza’s free PDF Maps app and grab some GPS-enhanced Trail Conference maps (a backup Tyvek or paper version of the map is good to have just in case your batteries die or you don't have service). Check out some map-reading basics here.

Food - Snacks/lunch will keep you going as you burn energy walking or climbing. Nuts, seeds, and chocolate are favorites on the trail.

Sunscreen and insect repellent

Rain Gear and Extra Clothing - Rain happens. So does cold. Be prepared for changing weather. Avoid cotton--it traps water against your skin and is slow to dry. If you are wearing wet cotton and must return to your starting point, you risk getting chills that may lead to a dangerous hypothermia. Choose synthetic shirts, sweaters and/or vests and dress in layers for easy on and off.

Compass - A simple compass is all you need to orient you and your map to magnetic north.

Light - A flashlight or small, lightweight headlamp will be welcome gear if you find yourself still on the trail when darkness falls. Check the batteries before you start out and have extras in your pack.

First Aid Kit - Keep it simple, compact, and weatherproof. Know how to use the basic components.

Firestarter and Matches - In an emergency, you may need to keep yourself or someone else warm until help arrives. A firestarter (this could be as simple as leftover birthday candles that are kept inside a waterproof container) and matches (again, make sure to keep them in a waterproof container) could save a life.

Knife or Multi-tool - You may need to cut a piece of moleskin to put over a blister, repair a piece of broken equipment, or solve some other unexpected problem.

Emergency Numbers - Know the emergency numbers for the area you're going to and realize that in many locations--especially mountainous ones, your phone will not get reception.

Common Sense - Pay attention to your environment, your energy, and the condition of your companions. Has the weather turned rainy? Is daylight fading? Did you drink all your water? Did your companion fail to bring rain gear? Are you getting tired? Keep in mind that until you turn around you are (typically) only half-way to completing your hike--you must still get back to where you started from! (Exceptions are loop hikes.)

Check the weather forecast before you head out. Know the rules and regulations of the area.

Directions to Trailhead :

Bear Mountain Inn: From the Palisades Interstate Parkway [north or south], get off at exit 19 [Bear Mtn. Park] and take Seven Lakes Drive for 3½ miles to the Bear Mountain Circle. At the circle, take the second right. Follow the signs to Parking Lots. If you miss exit 19, take the Parkway to the Bear Mountain Bridge Circle. At this circle, make the first right onto 9W south and go to the traffic light. Bear right and go up the hill. Parking fees apply. GPS: 41.312055, -73.988693

Elk Pen Parking Area: Take Route 17 north through Southfields, NY, turn right [east] onto Arden Valley Road, pass over the NY State Thruway [no access], then turn right on Elk Pen Road. From Route 17 south, Arden Valley Road is two miles south of the Harriman train station. [Google Maps: "Rt 17 and Arden Valley Road, NY 10975" The satellite view will show the parking area.] GPS: 41.265345, -74.153499

Public transportation: Short Line buses from the New York Port Authority Bus Terminal to the Bear Mountain Inn also stop, if requested, along US 9W at Tomkins Cove and Jones Point. Short Line buses and Metro-North trains to Suffern, Sloatsburg, Tuxedo, Southfields, Arden, and Harriman give access to trails on the west side of the parks.

TRAIN TRANSPORT :

Metro-North's Port Jervis Line from Hoboken to Suffern, Sloatsburg, Tuxedo, Southfields, Arden, and Harriman give access to trails on the west side of the parks.

BUS TRANSPORT :

Sloatsburg, Tuxedo, Southfields, Arden, and Harriman give access to trails on the west side of the parks. Short Line buses to the Bear Mountain Inn also stop, if requested, along US 9W at Tomkins Cove and Jones Point.